The Kanye Show comes to the Key | Concert preview

Polarizing producer/rapper/fashion icon and self-described “Number-One rock star on the planet” Kanye West has had a hell of a year both musically and in the public eye — from releasing “Yeezus,” the most ambitious album of his career, to having a baby with professional celebrity Kim Kardashian. This Saturday he kicks off his Yeezus Tour at KeyArena — the same venue where he started his last solo “Glow in the Dark” Tour in 2008 (though he did make a stop at the Tacoma Dome in 2011 with Jay-Z on their Watch the Throne tour).

“Yeezus” — a brooding, cold, synthesizer-and-dancehall-sample-laced step outside the confines of mainstream rap music — was seen as a scattered mess to some and a forward-thinking work of genius to others. The lines between electronic and rap have been increasingly blurred in recent years, and more seasoned listeners were quick to point out he wasn’t reinventing any genres. At the same time, there’s no denying that an artist of his caliber releasing something so adventurous changed, or at least challenged, the way mainstream audiences think about music. Seeing the record performed live, in true “rock star” arena fashion, will likely be just as new and different.

One of the most common criticisms of West is his apparent narcissism (which is readily on display throughout “Yeezus”), which he addressed in a recent, especially candid — and at times manic — BBC interview with Zane Lowe.

“When someone comes up and says something like, ‘I Am a God’ [one of Yeezus’ song titles], everybody says ‘Who does he think he is?’ ” said West. “I just told you who I thought I was! A God! … Would it have been better if … I had a song that said, ‘I Am a Gangsta?’ Or I had a song that said, ‘I Am a Pimp?’ All of those colors and patinas fit better on a person like me, right?”

West has enlisted an especially “Hiipower”-ed opening act in Compton’s Kendrick Lamar, whose 2012 sophomore album, “Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City,” skyrocketed him out of the rap-blog box into radio-playable mainstream fame. Lamar has been criticized for his lackluster live performances, but working with L.A. super-producer Flying Lotus has supposedly added elements more suitable to an arena setting. Either way, in terms of stature, he’s likely one of the only “new” names in modern rap appropriate for a Kanye-sized audience.

About us

Seattle Times music coordinator Paul de Barros has written about jazz and pop music for the paper since 1982 and is the author of “Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle.” On Twitter @pdebarros.

Andrew Matson is a freelance writer and close follower of the Seattle pop music scene – especially the genres of rap, rock and electronic. On Twitter @andrewmatson.

Seattle native Gene Stout has been writing about popular music for more than two decades and has interviewed and profiled many of Seattle’s best-known musicians. On Twitter @popmusiccritic.

Charles R. Cross is a Seattle-based writer who has authored eight books, including the bestselling biography of Kurt Cobain, "Heavier Than Heaven." On Twitter @Charlesrcross.

Charlie Zaillian served as music director of Olympia’s influential KAOS-FM, has a particular affection for punk rock and has freelanced for The Seattle Times since 2011. On Twitter @czaillian

Owen R. Smith is a freelance journalist and music writer, country music aficionado, erstwhile sportswriter and one-time novelist. On Twitter @inanedetails.

Gillian G. Gaar has written extensively about music and popular culture and is the author of several books. On Twitter @GillianGaar.

Mike Ramos is a Seattle native and freelance writer who has followed rap music since the early '90s and can sometimes be heard DJing on KEXP FM. On Twitter: @RAM0S206.

Andrew Gospe is a freelance writer and electronic musician who's called Seattle home since 2009. On Twitter: @gospea.